Vibration damping bundle conductor spacer



May 12, 1964 H. E. HOUSE VIBRATION DAMPING BUNDLE CONDUCTOR SPACER Filed Aug. 18 1 INVEN TOR.

HAZEN E. HOUSE ATTORNEY United States Patent cc 3,133,146 VIBRATION DAMPING BUNDLE CONDUCTOR SPACER Hazen E. House, Massena, N.Y., assiguor to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 50,442 3 Claims. (Cl. 174-42) The present invention relates to spacer mechanism for association in use with multiple parallel conductors employed to transmit or distribute electrical energy.

Plural parallel suspended conductors in regularly manufactured conventional diameters are successfully replacing specially-fabricated single expanded or large diameter conductors in high-voltage transmission systems, the plural arrangement of the conductors being technically termed bundle conductors. Positive spacing of the bundle conductors has been determined to be essential to the success of their substitution in practice to avoid whipping contact and interengagement of adjacent conductors under the influence of wind-induced and electrodynamically caused relative movements of the conductors To be of value in this respect, the spacer mechanism, in accordance with the present invention, must provide a positive rigid distance spacer member in articulated connection between adjacently-spaced conductors in a bundle thereof, which not onlyfinsures accurate and positive separation of the conductors, but must also be capable of damping wind-induced vibrations in the conductors.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bundle conductor spacer mechanism characterized by sufficient mechanical strength to insure and maintain predetermined and desired separation between parallel runs of suspended conductors under imposed electrical and atmospheric or meteorological loading of the conductors.

Another object of the invention lies in providing a spacer device which includes articulated end connection of sufficient flexibility to permit relative movement of the conductors parallel to their axes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spacer mechanism having vibration damping means incorporated in its construction.

It is also an essential object to the success of spacer mechanisms falling within the scope of the present invention that the integrated elements thereof, providing attachment to and separation of the individual conductors in bundles thereof, insure and maintain intimate and firm electrical contact with the conductors to avoid developing detrimental electro-potentials in the areas of spacer attachment to the conductors, as a result of differential generated voltages therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be realized from a consideration of the following description and illustrations, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the spacer device of the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a fragmentary transverse sectional View of the spacer device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the tubular strut shown in FIG. 2 with an alternative damping medium therein; and

FIG. 4 represents a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating a third type of damping medium.

Generally, spacer mechanisms contemplated Within the scope of the present invention include separable conductor clamping devices connectedly separated by a rigid tubular spacer bar within which is provided damping media, preferably in the form of loose granular material such as sand, shot or the like. The tubular spacer bar is preferably pivotally connected at its extreme ends to 3,133,145 Patented May 12, 1964 the conductor clamping devices to thereby accommodate relative movement of conductors supporting the clamps in a direction substantially parallel to the axes of the conductors,

In more specific terms, and referring to the appended illustrations representing a tested spacer device falling within the scope of the invention, separable split conductor clamps comprising cap elements 10 and base elements 12, groved at 14 and 16, respectively, and equipped with restraining U-bolts 18, receive and positively clamp a conductor within their cooperating grooves 14 and 16. The base element 12 of each conductor clamp is equipped with a centrally located and integrally extending lug or pad 22, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

A distance spacer, tubular strut member 24 is provided and its wall flattened adjacent its ends, as at 26, the strut being preferably approximately half-filled with loose sand 30 before final closing of its ends by the aforesaid wall-flattening operation. The flattened ends of the strut are also perforated at 32. j The strut 24 is pivotally connected at each of its ends to one each of the pair of clamp base elements 12 by means of connector pins or bolts 34 projected through the strut apertures 32 and through aligned apertures 36 in the lugs or pads 22 carried by the base elements 12. The aligned apertures 32 and 36 are suitably selected to provide running clearance in respect of the bolts 34, with washers 40, coiled springs 42, and nuts 44 in threaded engagement with the lower threaded shanks of the "bolts 34, constituting articulated connection between each end of the strut 24 and its attached clamp base members 12, with the springs 42 serving to resiliently and axially load and secure the pivotal articulated connections thus constituted.

In its application for use, the spacer device comprising its strut 24 and pivotally connected clamp base elements 12, assembled as above described, was disposed between twin parallel conductors 50 and the clamp cap elements 10 afiixed through the medium of the U-bolts 18 and nuts 52 to positively clamp the spacer device on the twin conductors in unitary assembly therewith.

It will be manifest that the twin conductors 50 are free to move relative toeach other in directions substantially parallel to their axes through oscillation of the spacer mechanism about the pivot bolts 34. It was also found that induced vibration of one or both of the conductors 50 was etficiently curtailed or damped by movement of the loose sand within the tubular strut 24 relative to the confining wall of the tubular strut 24. In fact, actually measured vibration amplitudes of 0.250

inch were recorded for the spacer device hereinabove described, but devoid of the loose sand, whereas the identical spacer device half-filled with sand reduced recorded vibration amplitudes in the conductors 50 to 0.125 inch.

Although a single spacer device was selected and tested in the development of the instant invention, it will be appreciated that other structures including the essential basic features above-described would perform equally well within the basic concept of the invention. For example, metallic shot 30a and other forms of granular or comminuted materials, or even viscous liquids 30b, could be substituted for the sand medium 30 so long as they react to absorb energy developed by wind-induced vibrations in the conductors. It is only essential that the energy absorbing or damping media confined within the tubular strut 24 be flowable in nature and that it be present in an amount less than the total interior volumetric capacity of the strut.

Specific embodiments of the invention having been fully described hereinabove, and with realization that its scope is not limited thereto, what is desired to be covered in this application for patent is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bundle conductor spacer and vibration damper comprising paired cooperating separable conductor clamping elements, means interconnecting the clamping elements in pairs on one each of two parallel spaced conductors forming a bundle thereof and engaged therebetween, an integrally extending lug on one each of the clamping elements in each pair extending inwardly towards one another in substantially a common plane, a tubular strut having flattened closed terminal ends, a spring-biased pivoted connection between each flattened end of the tubular strut and one each of the inward lug extensions, and a flowable energy-absorbing media confined within the tnbular strut and occupying less than the interior tubular volume between the flattened terminal ends of the tubular strut.

2. A bundle conductor spacer and vibration damper comprising paired cooperating separable conductor clamping elements, means interconnecting the clamping elements in pairs on one each of two parallel spaced conductors, forming a bundle thereof and engaged therebetween, an integrally extending lug on one each of the clamping elements in each pair extending inwardly towards one another in substantially a common plane, a tubular strut having flattened closed terminal ends, a spring-biased pivoted connection between each flattened end of the tubular strut and one of the inward lug extensions, and a flowable energy-absorbing granular material confined within the tubular strut in an amount to sub- 4 stantially fill at least half the interior capacity of the tubular strut between the flattened terminal ends thereof.

3. A bundle conductor spacer and vibration damping device adapted to be installed between suspended parallel spaced twin conductors forming a bundle thereof, said device comprisnig paired clamping elements and restraining means extending therethrough and adapted to secure a pair of the same on one each conductor in the bundle, an integral lug extension carried by one of the clamping elements in each pair, said lug extensions in pairs extending towards each other and lying in substantially the same plane coplanar with the axes of the parallel spaced conductors in the bundle, a closed ended tubular strut interposed between pairs of the clamping elements, said strut having its terminal ends flattened in the same plane, a spring-biased pivotal connection extending through each flattened end of the tubular strut and one each lug extension on a clamping element of each pair thereof, and a flowable energy-absorbing material confined Within and relatively movable in respect to the interior surface of said tubular strut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 686,605 Grauel et al Nov. 12, 1901 1,773,659 Austin Aug. 19, 1930 2,937,226 Kaminski et a1 May 17, 1960 2,973,401 Taylor Feb. 28, 1961 2,973,402 Taylor Feb. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 972,918 Germany Nov. 5, 1959 788,076 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1957 

1.A BUNDLE CONDUCTOR SPACER AND VIBRATION DAMPER COMPRISING PAIRED COOPERATING SEPARABLE CONDUCTOR CLAMPING ELEMENTS, MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE CLAMPING ELEMENTS IN PAIRS ON ONE EACH OF TWO PARALLEL SPACED CONDUCTORS FORMING A BUNDLE THEREOF AND ENGAGED THEREBETWEEN, AN INTEGRALLY EXTENDING LUG ON ONE ECH OF THE CLAMPING ELEMENTS IN EACH PAIR EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN SUBSTANTIALLY A COMMON PLANE, A 